7 June 1953 – 16 July 2019 On a journey to the stars Far below, we leave forever Dreams of what we were. University of KwaZulu-Natal South Africa award Doctor of Music (honoris causa) to JOHNNY CLEGG in 2013 Anthropologist, dancer, singer, songwriter and French knight – all of these tags fit but none […]
Microglia: the brain’s ‘immune cells’ protect against diseases, but can also cause them
Eleftheria Kodosaki, Academic associate, Cardiff Metropolitan University We know that the body’s immune system is important for keeping everything in check and protecting us. But a lot of us don’t realise that the brain also has an immune system. Microglia, which are the brain’s immune system cells, are involved in everything – from brain development […]
The Legendary Sir YEHUDI MENUHIN
The violin, through the serene clarity of its song, helps to keep our bearings in the storm, as a light in the night, a compass in the tempest, it shows us a way to a haven of sincerity and respect. Yehudi Menuhin had one of the longest and most distinguished careers of any violinist of […]
The Art of ALEXIS PRELLER
Pretoria-born artist Alexis Preller studied art in London at the Westminster School of Art and expanded his knowledge of art and art history by reading voraciously and travelling widely in Europe and Africa. He studied Egyptian, ancient Greek, Etruscan, early Renaissance and southern and central African art and culture, in particular, and created an art […]
Little Richard’s scream kicked off rock’n’roll and still echoes today
Adam Behr, Lecturer in Popular and Contemporary Music, Newcastle University When British author Nik Cohn wrote one of the earliest histories of rock in 1969, his title was the ostensibly nonsensical Awopbopaloobop Alopbamboom. It was still instantly recognisable, and perfectly conveyed the sense of explosion at the birth of the genre. The phrase was originally […]
Coronavirus pandemic: why a flu jab is a good idea in countries heading into winter
Every year seasonal influenza kills between 100,000 and 600,000 people worldwide. There are around 11,500 deaths in South Africa alone. Marietjie Venter, Head: Zoonotic arbo and Respiratory virus Program, Professor, Department Medical Virology, University of Pretoria As the southern hemisphere moves closer to winter, virologists are concerned about the upcoming influenza season. This may […]
Baking your own Sourdough Bread
Lyndal Collins, Research dietitian, Department of Gastroenterology, Monash University In the midst of this global pandemic, a sourdough revolution has been born. More time at home combined with supermarket shortages of essentials, has fostered the creativity of a whole new generation of home bakers. If your Instagram feed is filled with everyone’s favourite new housemate, […]
WASSILY KANDINSKY, Painting the Sounds
Colour is the keyboard, the eyes are the hammers, the soul is the piano with many strings. The artist is the hand which plays, touching one key or another, to cause vibrations in the soul. Russian-born Wassily Kandinsky pioneered abstract art in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. His unique perspective on the form […]
A Short History of Human Emotions
In this fascinating TED talk, historian Tiffany Watt Smith explains how the words we use to describe our emotions affect how we feel, and how they change (sometimes dramatically) in response to new cultural expectations and ideas – eg. Nostalgia, was first defined in 1688 as an illness and considered quite deadly.
Why do we Dream?
Jason Ellis, Professor of Sleep Science, Northumbria University, Newcastle Although science knows what dreams are, it is still not known exactly why we dream, although plenty of theories exist. Dreams are patterns of sensory information that occur when the brain is in a resting state – as in asleep. It is generally assumed that […]